The main features of ski tourism development in the territory of the Republic of Belarus

Abstract

 Ski tourism is a common form of tourism worldwide, generally associated with rural areas and activities in the snow. However, it is also offered as a tourist product in urban destinations in indoor and outdoor areas associated with sports. The conducted research considered the main features of ski tourism development on the territory of the Republic of Belarus, a country with a flat terrain character. The landscape-climatic and socio-economic conditions in eight ski tourism centers of the country are analyzed, and their specialization in the presentation of tourist products and the development of basic and specialized infrastructure are discussed. It is noted that the development of ski centers is associated with the popularization of active recreation, and amateur skiing. In the research, it has been determined that it is much more appropriate to examine ski tourism separately in mountainous and flat areas without making comparisons in terms of both landscape and orographic conditions. When the research findings are evaluated in general, it shows that the ski tourism in the Belarus destination is unevenly distributed and the highest density is in the influence area of the capital Minsk.